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Development of Computational Tools for Applications in Clinical Motion Biomechanics and Beyond
No full textDespite the large number of people who require orthopedic treatment each year, many clinical evaluations and subsequent interventions are based on subjective feedback from patients and largely qualitative data. Biomechanical assessment using optoelectronic motion capture has paved the way for recording and quantifying human motion in numerous settings; however, the long processing time and requirements for skilled technicians make the use of motion capture largely impractical in most clinical settings. Research within the field of clinical biomechanics hopes to leverage this gold standard technology and modern computational capabilities for the development and validation of quantitative clinical assessments. To realize this goal, there is a need to develop new tools to address computational needs within the ���� eld of biomechanics. Therefore, the goal of this present work was to develop computational tools to address 3 identified needs: 1.) An inverse kinematics model relying on quaternion algebra that is compatible with Optoelectronic Motion Capture data; 2.) An upper-body Inverse Dynamics Model incorporating a baseball bat held by both hands; 3.) A gait event detection algorithm for application in Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) and Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) populations. Computational tools were developed in Python using kinematic data collected using Vicon Motion Capture Systems for baseball pitching, baseball batting, and TKA/THA participants. Three computational tools as outlined above were successfully developed. The inverse kinematics model will facilitate additional mathematical operations and faster, more efficient calculation of kinematic parameters. The inverse dynamics model utilized a heuristic approach to calculate the distribution of forces between the hands and provided a more accurate representation of the forces experienced by the upper extremity joints during the baseball swing. Finally, the gait event detection algorithms developed and optimized for use in TKA and THA patients improved the accuracy of gait event detection compared to previously published models. Together, the results of the present work will help drive the field of motion biomechanics forward and ultimately contribute to the development of effective quantitative clinical assessments
Uncovering the Mechanisms of Transcriptional Regulation of ECA Biosynthesis in E. coli K-12
No full textAntibiotic resistance is a significant global threat with nearly 3 million antibiotic resistant infections per year in the U
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Dislocation Mobility in the Transonic Regime
No full textDetermining dislocation mobility, i.e., the relationship between dislocation velocity and shear stress, is essential for predicting material response to external loading. However, dislocation mobility is not fully understood, especially for dislocations moving near or above a material's lowest sound speed. We use molecular dynamics to investigate the effect of free surfaces on the mobility of an edge, a screw, and a twinning dislocations in single crystal copper. We find that the upper limit of dislocation velocity depends on the dislocation type. By correlating instantaneous velocities v and resolved stresses tau, we show that the mobility law of each dislocation type can be decomposed into piece-wise continuous ranges of uniform motion separated by bands of forbidden velocity. The lower limiting velocity for uniform motion of all dislocations is the Rayleigh wave speed. When forced to propagate at an average velocity greater than c^R, dislocations exhibit periodic, intermittent, discrete jumps in instantaneous velocity between c^R and higher velocity branches of the mobility law. Bands of forbidden velocity may be calculated directly from the velocity dependence of dislocation drag coefficients. These findings provide atomistic insights of plastic deformation near free surface under high strain-rate loading
Waco Connect Health Plan Referrals Evaluation Report
Get PDFEvaluation ReportGrowing evidence suggests the importance of economic stability, physical environment, education, food, and social context in determining one���s health before the health system is able to intervene (Nichols & Taylor, 2018; Taylor et al., 2016). Non-medical spending on these social determinants of health (SDOH), including social work interventions, may have an impact on health outcomes. The Waco Connect (WC) project, part of a national series of Collaborative Approach to Public Good Investment (CAPGI) projects, is a social care navigation program coordinated between April 2021 and February 2023 by Prosper Waco in Waco, Texas. WC aims to connect families experiencing mental health needs in McLennan County, Texas, to a network of non-medical resources. In partnership with Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH), the families of Medicaid-enrolled children (under 19) who have serious anxiety and depression were selected and provided the opportunity to be linked to social care providers through referrals. Our team was contracted to serve as the local evaluator for WC. The purpose of this evaluation is to assess whether the WC project ��� as an intervention to invest in SDOH ��� reduced the utilization and costs of medical services for high-risk patients with social needs. The implementation process of WC, as described in this report, is based on internal reports from and conversations with key personnel at Prosper Waco. Using fully de-identified data on referrals provided by Prosper Waco and on utilization from BSWH, we use matching on observables methods to estimate the impact of the WC intervention. We interpret these results in the context of prior literature on SDOH social care interventions, including referral interventions. Overall, 311 referrals were made by BSWH to Prosper Waco between April 2021 and February 2023, of which 291 clients resulted in successful contact and 232 clients had their social needs identified. A majority of WC clients were in need of assistance with housing (143 clients) and utilities (131 clients), and other notable social needs included food (79 clients) and childcare (60 clients), followed by employment, social/emotional support, healthcare, and transportation. Of these clients, 100 of them reported having at least one of their social needs met during the study period. We conducted an evaluation of the WC intervention on the health outcomes of 258 WC clients that had complete healthcare data, compared to 12,504 matched controls in the BSWH Medicaid plan, and found no evidence of reduced cost of care but some evidence of reductions in the number of emergency department (ED) visits following WC referrals.Episcopal Health Foundatio
Evaluating the Academic Achievement of Multilingual Students Using Multiple Methods
No full textMultilingual students continue to be one of the fastest growing student populations in the U.S. Consequently, new questions regarding how to best serve these students has been at the forefront of educational research over the past two decades. Multilingual children introduce a plethora of unique variables and characteristics researchers must be aware of to ensure they are capturing a complete representation of students��� development. Thus, educational researchers have had to reexamine appropriate methodology for studies that include multilingual children in their samples. This dissertation includes three studies evaluating multilingual students��� academic achievement using multiple methods. Study 1 examined the academic achievement gap between multilingual and monolingual elementary students by using a statistical approach to ensure groups were compared without confounding variables affecting results. Study 2 is a meta-analysis that investigated the effects of language of instruction on multilingual students��� academic achievement. A search of the literature was conducted and studies comparing academic outcomes of multilingual children who were enrolled in bilingual education versus those in monolingual education were analyzed. Study 3 focused on heterogeneity among multilingual students. Latent profile analyses were used to identify the presence of subgroups among multilingual children based on their academic, cognitive, and behavioral skills. Implications of this research are discussed in the final chapter
